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PRIVATE FIRM RUNS HOSPITAL A failing West Midlands NHS hospital has become the first in the country to be taken over by a private company. Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield is being run by Secta as part of a £1.3m three-year franchise agreement. Under the arrangement, Secta must ensure the hospital improves its current zero NHS rating to three stars within three years. MAN THROWN FROM BUS IN CRASH A man is critically ill after being thrown through the front upper window of a double-decker bus in a road accident in Birmingham. The 18-year-old victim, from Sedgley, suffered head and spinal injuries in the collision in Stratford Road, Hall Green, which involved three cars. The bus driver suffered shock and a knee injury, but no-one else was hurt. BOY CRITICAL AFTER HOUSE FIRE A four-year-old boy is in a critical condition in hospital after being rescued from a house fire in Coventry. The boy's mother and two other children managed to escape the blaze at the house in The Moorfields, Stoke Aldermoor. His father sustained burns. The boy was taken to Coventry's Walsgrave Hospital and transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital. TRAM LINES WILL BE BUILT - BOSS The director general of Centro, the area's Passenger Transport Executive, has said Government funding over seven years will see new tram lines built. Rob Donald said £1bn of funding could mean new park-and-ride facilities and a "super-bus" scheme. The allocation had been criticised by local business leaders as being insufficient. MOTORIST KILLED IN CAR CRASH A motorist has been killed in a single-vehicle road accident on the B4035 in south Worcestershire. West Mercia Police said the driver, who has not yet been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident between Badsey and Bretforton. Witnesses to the incident, which involved a blue Ford Fiesta, have been urged to call police on 08457 444888. INDIAN POLICEMAN VISITS TOWN Police officers in Bedworth are being joined by one of India's most senior law enforcement figures as part of a factfinding visit across Warwickshire. Jatinder Singh Aulak, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in India, will be joining a town centre patrol. Mr Aulak is part of a 50-strong delegation of police officers visiting Britain from India. SHOTS FIRED IN ROBBERY BID An armed robber fired four shots from a ballbearing gun after being forced to flee empty-handed from a Birmingham DIY store when he was confronted by staff. The masked gunman and another offender, who was not armed, demanded money at B&Q in Station Road, Stechford. The raiders fled in a stolen Volkswagen Passat, which was later found burnt out on Batchelors Farm recreation ground. CRASH WOMAN UNDER OBSERVATION A woman whose car was in collision with a heavy goods vehicle on the M40, killing the lorry driver, remains under observation in a Birmingham hospital. The unnamed woman is being treated at Selly Oak hospital. Her Suzuki Swift and a Volvo lorry collided near Henley-in-Arden, said police. The dead trucker was a 57-year-old man from the South of England. SEARCH FOR CANINE RECRUITS Warwickshire Police have launched a search to recruit police dogs, with free board and lodging on offer for successful candidates. The force's Dog Section is looking for German Shepherds aged between 12 to 18 months, said Sergeant Phil Reddall. The dogs should be bold but not overly aggressive, have an inquisitive and bright nature and be playful. AIRPORT HITS PASSENGER RECORD Birmingham Airport has registered its first ever monthly passenger figures exceeding one million. The airport attributed the rise to increased capacity and investment in new infrastructure. Peter Vella, the airport's business development director, said Birmingham has now achieved record passenger numbers every month this year. DRIVER ARRESTED OVER DEATH A Dutch lorry driver has been arrested in connection with the death of a pensioner who was killed as she crossed a Birmingham street, police have said. The woman, from Acocks Green, was killed as she used a pelican crossing in High Street, Kings Heath. A man from Holland has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and released on bail. PAIR TO TOUR - 44 YEARS LATE A couple who were invited on a factory visit by Birmingham-based firm Cadbury after complaining about a product have accepted the offer - 44 years later. The pair, from County Durham, who have not been named, recently contacted Cadbury asking if they could tour. A Cadbury spokesman confirmed that the company had issued the invite to the couple on July 21, 1959. GUARD ATTACKED FOR MONEY A security guard has been thrown to the ground by masked robbers who stole an undisclosed amount of money from him in Solihull, police said. The 23-year-old guard was outside a McDonalds restaurant in Warwick Road delivering money to a cash machine when he was attacked by two men. Police said the pair fled in a silver Skoda Octavia - registration BV52 EAW. ARMED POLICE TACKLE TOY GUN MAN Armed police were sent to Nuneaton town centre after CCTV operators spotted a man wielding a weapon which was later identified as a toy gun. Warwickshire Police said a 21-year-old man had been advised about his behaviour after the incident. A force spokesman confirmed that CCTV staff had spotted the man carrying what appeared to be a small handgun. TRADING OFFICERS IN SCAM PLEA Shropshire Trading Standards has urged the public not to be taken in by scams after complaints about get-rich-quick schemes, fake prizes and chain letters. The consumer protection body received more than 100 inquiries in the last three months relating to confidence tricksters, many originating abroad. A spokesperson said: "The answer is simple, they want your money." MEP ATTACKS AIR TAX RISE PLAN A West Midlands politician has attacked a "congestion charge" plan for airline passengers which he said would cripple an already struggling industry. Philip Bradbourn, West Midlands MEP, said a report before the Government recommended taxes should be increased. The Tory MEP said travellers could have to pay more than double the current air tax, which is between £5 and £40. CONCERN FOR MISSING BOY, 10 Concern is growing for a 10-year-old boy missing from his Birmingham home for nearly a week, police said. Jamie Matthews, from Anerley Grove, Kingstanding, was last seen by his mother on August 27 and police are concerned for his safety. Jamie, who walks with a limp and has a small scar over his left eye, has gone missing before but never for as long. FATAL CRASH DRIVER NAMED Police have named a 24-year-old motorist who died when his car crashed into a bridge in south Worcestershire. The blue Ford Fiesta Flight driven by James Barry Matthews struck the structure between Badsey and Bretforton on the B4035, West Mercia Police said. A force spokesman confirmed said Mr Matthews was from Bretforton Road, Honeybourne, near Evesham. M-WAY REOPENS AFTER CRASH A stretch of the M6 near Walsall has been reopened after a lorry driver was rescued from his vehicle following an accident, police have said. Firefighters freed the man who became trapped in his three-tonne goods vehicle following the collision with a van, a police spokesman said. The driver was not seriously injured in the accident, he added. APPEAL OVER IRON BAR ATTACKER Police have released an e-fit image of a robber who hit a woman with an iron bar in Halesowen. The man struck the 26-year-old woman violently from behind as she walked along Andrew Road, causing her serious head injuries. The offender is described as white, in his early 20s, 6ft, thin, with gaunt features and a dark hooded top. RECORD CALL-OUTS FOR PARAMEDICS Ambulance bosses in the West Midlands have called for drinkers not to overindulge after paramedics attended a record number of cases during July. West Midlands Ambulance Service said its staff dealt with 35,000 cases during the month, the highest figure since records began in 1974. A spokesman said: "We believe most of the cases were alcohol related." SOLICITOR GETS HONORARY DEGREE A solicitor who represented the family of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence is receiving an honorary degree at Wolverhampton University. Imran Khan, whose pressure on the police helped secure a public inquiry into the London teenager's murder, is being presented with a Doctor of Laws. Mr Khan, of east London, is getting the honour for his work on human rights. FRESH APPEAL OVER STAB DEATH Detectives are making a fresh appeal for information about the murder of a Birmingham man who was found stabbed in his car in Moseley. Relatives of 32-year-old Naveed Saleem are expected to join officers from West Midlands Police at a news conference to appeal for witnesses to the crime. Mr Saleem, from Hall Green, was found dead at the wheel of his Range Rover. MP URGES VOTERS TO REJECT BNP Worcester MP Michael Foster has welcomed Government figures showing a decline in asylum applications. Labour MP Mr Foster urged voters to reject far-right "racist" parties such as the BNP. He said that extremist groups were proposing an agenda which would bring misery to millions of people in the UK and abroad. DRIVER RESCUED FROM NEW CAR Fire crews have been forced to cut the roof off a new Land Rover to free its driver after the vehicle partly slipped off a car transporter in Solihull. The unusual rescue was carried out at Land Rover's plant in Damson Lane amid fears that the driver had suffered back injuries, the Fire Service said. The driver is not thought to have sustained serious injuries. MEN JAILED FOR ARMED ROBBERY Two brothers have been given lengthy jail terms for armed robberies at Little Chef restaurants in Staffordshire and Warwickshire. Anoop and Balkarn Sahota, aged 23 and 26, were sentenced to eight and six years respectively for robbing premises near Stone and Warwick last summer. The pair from Wolverhampton pleaded guilty at Stafford Crown Court. CAR FIRM TO LAUNCH NEW MODEL Luxury car company Aston Martin has announced that its new 186mph model, made at the Gaydon factory in Warwickshire, is set to be unveiled. The DB9 will make its world debut at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show. The car is the first to be produced at the company's new facility and production will start at the end of this year. THEME PARK CLOSURE CRITICISED Staffordshire theme park Alton Towers has been criticised for closing for two days after BT paid an estimated £1m to stage a party as a treat for staff. Visitors were met by signs on a roundabout saying the park was closed. The Advertising Standards Authority upheld complaints that billing the park as "open every day from 5th April to 2nd November" was misleading. Pc TOURING EUROPE IN SKODA A globe-trotting Birmingham policeman and his £40 Skoda car have embarked on a two-week fundraising tour of up to 21 European countries. Pc Cary Corpus, 38, and his partner and navigator Louise Cockbill, set themselves the challenge of completing the tour in 14 days. The aim is to raise money for the Acorn's Children's Hospice in Moseley. £500m BULLRING COMPLEX TO OPEN A new £500m retail complex - including a Selfridges store with an exterior described as a futuristic one-eyed clown - is due to open in Birmingham. The new Bullring, which boasts more than 140 shops and kiosks, will be officially opened by city council leader Sir Albert Bore. The ceremony will be followed by a celebratory Mardi Gras-style parade. SWEET JUSTICE AFTER 44 YEARS A couple invited to tour chocolate firm Cadbury's Birmingham factory in 1959 after complaining about a product are taking up the offer - 44 years later. The unnamed consumers recently asked the confectioner if they could visit the company's plant in Bournville. A Cadbury spokesman said: "Most people tend to visit straight away, so a 44-year wait is certainly unusual." REWARD OFFERED AFTER STAB DEATH A £100,000 reward has been offered by friends and business associates of a Birmingham man found stabbed to death in his car in Moseley. Naveed Saleem, 32, of Hall Green, was found slumped in the driver's seat of his Range Rover in Wellesley Gardens. His mother, Surriya Saleem, said: "He was a good, hard-working man and our lives will never be the same." MEP BACKS CHARTER FOR DISABLED A West Midlands politician has called on Europe to lead by example and start work immediately on a charter for disabled people's rights. Liz Lynne, West Midlands Lib Dem MEP, welcomed the European Parliament's choice to back the development of a UN Convention on Disabled People's Rights. Ms Lynne said: "We must consider it from a global point of view." CONFLICT OF LAWRENCE SOLICITOR A solicitor who represented the family of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence had "conflicting emotions" on receiving an honorary degree in Wolverhampton. Imran Khan, whose pressure on the Met force helped secure a public inquiry into the murder, was awarded a Doctor of Laws at the city's university. He said he wanted to encourage students to consider studying human rights. STORE'S PROFITS WILT Wolverhampton-based department store group James Beattie has improved first half sales - but operating profits have dropped by 30%, the firm has said. Its Birmingham store continued its poor performance with an interim loss of £969,000 and July's heat saw a 2% drop in sales as shoppers sunbathed instead. The news sent shares tumbling more than 6% to 140p - a 10p fall. COUPLE FORCED TO HAND OVER KEYS A Staffordshire couple have been forced to hand over car keys to a masked gang who broke into their home, police said. The four offenders, all wearing balaclavas, smashed the glass in the front door of the couple's home in Uttoxeter and forced their way in. The thieves, thought to be from the West Midlands, escaped in the householders' Volkswagen Passat. GRANDMOTHERS BECOME LIFEGUARDS Three grandmothers from Walsall have passed Baywatch-style lifeguard tests -and have encouraged others to follow in their wake. Enid Holmes, 63, Sheila Smith, 64, both from Bloxwich, and Christine Smith, 63, from Leamore, said they were delighted. The trio, who all teach swimming, have earned their National Aquatics Rescue Standards awards. FEARS GROW FOR MISSING MAN Police have expressed mounting concern for the welfare of a Worcestershire man who may be sleeping rough on the Malvern Hills. Christopher Scully, 25, was last seen leaving his Malvern home on August 29. He iss described as 6ft, of very slim build, with blue eyes, short brown-red hair which is bushy on top and has a slight American accent. 165,000 VISIT BULLRING CENTRE Birmingham's new £500m Bullring retail complex welcomed an estimated 165,000 shoppers through its doors in just five hours, it has emerged. A spokesman for the centre said figures showed more than 30,000 people an hour had visited the new 140-shop complex on its first day. The centre was opened by Birmingham City Council leader Sir Albert Bore. MAN ON ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE A man has been charged with attempted murder after a power saw attack in Solihull left a man with serious stomach lacerations, police said. The 29-year-old, from Chelmsley Wood, is due to appear before magistrates in Solihull in relation to the incident at the town's football club. The man also faces a charge of burglary related to an incident in Coventry. MAN STABBED WITH BROKEN BOTTLE A man has been stabbed with a broken bottle in an attack in Nuneaton, police have revealed. A passing policeman found the man with arm and head wounds on the ground near telephone boxes in Edward Street. It is believed the victim, in his mid 20s, had been attacked by a man and a woman. He had 30 stitches at the George Elliot Hospital before being released. WORKERS 'LOCKED OUT BY BOSSES' Hundreds of workers who met council leaders in a bid to save their jobs say they were locked out by management on returning to their Birmingham factory. About 200 train production workers lobbied councillors to seek support to save the Alstom Plant, Washwood Heath. A union spokesman said the meeting had been "excellent" but said the lock-out by management was "disgraceful". STRIKE OVER PENSION SCHEME Hundreds of workers at a West Midlands firm are staging another strike in protest at the closure of their company pension scheme to new employees. Members of the GMB union at chemical firm Rhodia in Oldbury are walking out for 24 hours, with the threat of further stoppages later in the month. Workers have already staged strikes after talks to resolve the row failed. HOSPITAL SET TO BECOME HOSTEL A former hospital in Herefordshire has been bought by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands as part of a £453,000 scheme to boost tourism. The Kington Cottage Hospital, which was acquired from the South Herefordshire Primary Care Trust, will be transformed into a 30-bed youth hostel. The work on the hospital, which closed in July, will be completed by April. MP AND WIFE SET FOR JAIL TERM A Birmingham Labour MP and his wife are set to "do time" at a jail in the city - as part of a charity lock-in to raise funds for a variety of good causes. Northfield MP Richard Burden and Jane Slowey, who is head of Birmingham Voluntary Service Council, are just two of 70 temporary "inmates" taking part. The proceeds will go to a number of local children's charities. BUS CRASH WITNESS SOUGHT West Midlands Police are attempting to trace a witness seen filming with a camcorder after an accident which left a bus passenger with critical injuries. The 18-year-old victim was thrown through the upper front window of a double-decker bus after it collided with a car in Hall Green, Birmingham. The man, from Sedgley, near Dudley, is in a serious but improving condition. BID TO BOOST PATIENT DIAGNOSIS An NHS project which aims to improve diagnosis for patients in Shropshire and Staffordshire has been launched by the area's Strategic Health Authority. Health professionals, managers and service users have been tasked with developing a three-year plan to speed up X-rays and other scans. The review is one of four "trailblazer" schemes being held across the country.
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